This tag looks simple but it was really a bit more involved than just stamping. Tag #10 for Linda inspired me to work with the concept of a wreath and a multi-layered inked/stamped background. I honestly had no idea where this tag was going to go and I’m not sure I’m totally pleased with today’s tag. However, this is about inspiration and so while my tag may not be my favorite, Linda’s tag inspired me to just try something different.

On the floor by my craft table there is a pile of stamps that needs to be put away. One of those is the Tim Holtz #284 Holiday Drawings stamp. One of the stamps on the set is a sprig of pine, spruce, and berries. I was messing around with the stamp and came up with this:

I figured I could use it as the base for the wreath idea that Linda had on her tag. So, I started off stamping the sprig in a circle using Distress Ink Peeled Paint. After stamping the wreath, I dabbed some water on it and made it a bit more watercolor-like. I then stamped back over it in Distress Ink Mowed Lawn. Again, dabbed some water to break up the crispness of the stamping. I then added a bit of Distress Oxide Ink in Lucky Clover and added water. This gave me some areas that were more matte in color. I finished it off with some stamping of the sprig in Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in Potting Soil.

While this is probably the backward way of doing things, I then grabbed some Distress Ink in Hickory Smoke and filled in the areas around the wreath and then started to work on my background. Yes, I know, not the right way to do it but instead of starting over I just kept going with it. As Linda used some stenciling, I too added some stencil work. I grabbed the Tim Holtz Mini Layering Stencil (Set 31 – Stars) and some Distress Ink in Tea Dye and hit the areas on the background. Some areas are faint and some are more pronounced which is on purpose. It reminded me a bit of old wallpaper.

I also like the way Linda used only a portion of a stamp to create some visual texture. So, I grabbed my Finnabair Clear Stamp (I think it’s called messy writing). I stamped sections of the stamp using Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in watering Can.

Now, here again is where I should have stamped the sentiment rather than glue down the parts of the wreath. But, alas, I went with the wreath. I used the Tim Holtz Festive Greens Thin Cuts and cut out the poinsettia. I cut the flower a bit more to the center so I could layer the flower and get some lift from the individual petals. I also cut out a couple of the spruce pieces from that same set. Next, I grabbed some Red Pepper Alcohol Ink and Caramel Alcohol Ink and inked up some festive berries, fluted star, and pearl. I put it all together once the alcohol ink dried.

The almost final touch was the sentiment. I knew what I wanted on it – the Twinkle All the Way from the Mama Elephant Merry Greetings stamp. I wanted to offset the stamp just a teensy bit to get a bit of red behind the gold. Minor disaster. When I stamped the red in the Red Geranium Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink, the stamp block caught a berry on the wreath. I got a rather imperfect stamp out of it and a couple of swear words. I then used Versa Mark to stamp the sentiment again and embossed it in Princess Gold Embossing Powder. It’s not perfect <head shake> but it’s not horrible.

So, here is tag #10. I’m getting there. At some point I will manage to get caught up… Here’s to #11!